Sculpted Mahogany Vanity - Panel Glue-Up

In this episode, we make up the large Mahogany panel to wrap the bottom segment. Some tips for using the Festool TS tracksaw for panel jointing are explained and shown.  This is really a great technique even if you have a jointer.

You'll also see a 7'x2' panel get jointed (surfaced) by hand with three hand planes.  I'm a fan of diagonal and perpendicular planing so that's what you get. :) (Remember, 'normal' is a synonym for 'perpendicular'...)

We'll go over why the panel gets wrapped so early before sculpting and how we'll anchor it there.


Next episode is marking, pre-sculpting, and sculpting... it's the one I've been waiting for :)   Co'mon Saturday!

Sculpted Mahogany Vanity - Completing Bottom Segment

In this episode, we complete the frame for the bottom stack of drawers.  This one shows you a couple useful techniques with the Festool Domino that help when laying out Dominos mid-field on multiple boards (say, a bookcase), but it happens to be useful here.  Also show how to create a simple reference surface where one didn't exist making positioning very easy and quick.

I did this build in a way to show how the structure would sag when dry-assembled to better show the torque.  Like most demos, didn't go as planned as the structure didn't sag one bit! (Dominos:1 Paul-Marcel:0)  That doesn't mean this stack of drawers isn't going to be up against a lot of torque so we discuss how to significantly reinforce the sides.

The panel glue-up episode is next (half done already!) where we'll "pre-sculpt" the fronts and make plans for the gaudy drawer handles I'm looking forward to using...  It's getting more fun now despite that my shop now hovers at 100ºF :(

For the curious, you can get BowClamps from www.BowClamp.com.

Also, you can read Vic's blog article here.

Thanks for watching!

Sculpted Mahogany Vanity - Completing Top Segment

In this episode, I didn't get as far as I'd like.  Moving big tools for sale and moving new ones in place took a lot of time plus I think my boss is subscribed to my channel and thinks I have too much spare time whenever I post a video :)  (Hi, Bob!)


Floating panels get finished and installed, the upper case glued up, drawer fronts flattened, Dominos pinned, and a discussion of the placement of certain top structure members with respect to their function as part of an "integrated drawer webbing".

I also fix a boneheaded visual mistake with a quick router trick, but fast as it was, not making the mistake in the first place is still better!  You might find the trick useful for other types of surface repairs.

Pretty certain we'll get the panels ready and pattern marked out in the next episode.  There's some preliminary carving necessary to keep consistent.  That'll be before going hog-wild with the RAS-115 :)

Bridge City KM-1 Kerfmaker User's Guide

In many of my podcasts, I've used the Bridge City Toolworks KM-1 Kerfmaker to create exactly sized grooves and dados.  It can be shrouded in mystery if you are just looking at the catalog.  Come to think of it, it can be shrouded in mystery when you are reading the "user's manual".

In this video, I'll give you a tour of the KM-1, show how to effectively set the kerf using the actual cutters, and show how to use it in many situations on the tablesaw, router, mitersaw, bandsaw, and even the Bridge City JMP Jointmaker Pro.  There'll be a number of demonstrations with close-ups to unveil the shroud!

The KM-1 is part of Bridge City's "Essentials".  While many commemorative tools are made only once never to be made again, the KM-1 is generally always available.

If there's one thing I could say to convince you of its utility, it would be this:

I've only used my dado stack in two sizes: 1/4" and 1/2"; the shims are still shrink-wrapped

(I've always wanted to use the word 'shrouded' in a blog posting; hurrah!)

EDIT: at the time I posted this, Bridge City was regrettably out of the KM-1s.  I just got confirmation from Bridge City that they will be back in stock in 6-8 weeks.  That puts them as available around the last week of July 2011/early August.  Put yourself on the list to get one when they are available.  Worth the wait.  I waited much longer as I got in on the first run!

Review of the Laguna Italian-Made LT-18 Bandsaw

I recently upgraded to a Laguna Tools Italian-Made LT-18 bandsaw.  I've used it a lot since recording this multi-part review and like it even more now.  At the time of the recording, I had used it for a couple weeks.

Part 1 is a tour of the saw itself.  The "Italian-Made" is important as this saw is completely different from the LT-18 3000 series also from Laguna Tools.  This tour isn't a point-by-point comparison though a couple key points are compared to show just how different they are.

The tour also covers the DriftMaster fence.

Part 2 gives a tour of the Laguna Tools Ceramic Guides and shows an easy way to calibrate them.  On various forums I've seen people say they like the guides but find them finicky to adjust.  This method is very fast for me and I'll explain a couple key things to watch out for.  The Laguna Ceramic Guides were a key feature for me in a bandsaw.  That meant buying a Laguna bandsaw or one where the Laguna guides could be retrofitted.

Part 3 shows how to set the drift angle on the DriftMaster fence then does a number of resawing demos to show how consistently thin you can rip stock.  You'll get to see how clean and consistent the Resaw King blade and Laguna Guides can make a cut.


A woodworking friend Chris Wong is simultaneously posting a review of his new Laguna LT-16 3000 series bandsaw.  What's cool about Chris, among other things, is that he's from Port Moody, British Columbia.  This means you can easily find his site FlairWoodworks.com by Googling "Chris Wong the moody woodworker from Canada" :)  (Seriously! try it!)

Grab the Alder, er, popcorn!  (is it just me or does Alder smell like popcorn when cut?!)

Sculpted Mahogany Vanity - Stock Preparation and Top Segment

And we're off!  In this episode, we'll sort through the rough stock (ahem, in my neighborhood, 'rough' stock is regrettably S2S) then use a Festool TS-75 to straight-line the boards before using the table saw for the parallel cut.  The upper segment of the vanity's structural insides will be Dominoed (I love how in English you can verb anything).  We'll talk about a couple different Domino techniques that come up in this segment.

The underside of this top segment is in three sections.  The two outer sections will have drawers so we'll make part of the structure into drawer runners and resaw some Mahogany for two panels on the underside. You'll see a quickie tour of the KM-1 being used to exactly size the panel groove.  I'll be doing a video user's guide to the KM-1 soon.

While not on the video, the next step is to sand or scrape the panels and put finish on them before gluing up the upper segment.

In the next episode, we'll make the lower segment, the drawer webbing, and glue up the panels that will wrap this wireframe structure.  Then we'll get in touch with our inner-Rodin and sculpt! ...but hopefully it won't look like the Gates of Hell.   :)